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Saturday, 25 April 2009

For those of you present Polly on my little spend at running with scissors this morning, here is what it was all for. I used my teabag square punch to punch out 9 different colour squares, 3 of each. I then placed these so that one of each square was on each row and that non were touching. I then used my embelishments from running with scissors and selected three of the better ones, I placed yellow ones on pink squares and pink ones on yellow coloured squares. I had to move them around so that the embelishments ran diaganol down the page. I glued these to a blank white card and made sure that the spacing was the same all around. I then trimmed the white card to the same spacing. I used my Tim Holt distresss ink and the tip from Tracey and used the rose to edge the white card with the pink. I then folded a piece of large card in half and placed the new creation on the top, trimming the card to the same spacing.

Love it...................... just need to find an envelope to fit it, any ideas anyone.

oh and they are back from fishing and my son won out of the two of them and came second in the match, he is well made up.

There fishing again, and it is so quiet. They even left there phones at home so no disturbances for me.

I had this idea in my mind for a few days. I printed off the beer glass paper from a website and then layered it onto black card. I placed plain black ribbon down the join. Used my cuttle bug and nestibilities to create the embelishment along with a pack of ready made embelishments from running with scissor or hobby house, I can't remember now. I then had to halt the process as I could not get my lettering just right. That was until I went to my scrap booking class today at running with scissors. A new order of Kim & Co had come in, not even on the shelves, however I managed to place one out of the delivery box into my purchase pile and wow it just finishes the card off nicely.

In the inside I have placed from tickerty boo in Grimsby a musical element, playing happy birthday................

As you can see such a productive week. The front edges were wrapped in to the inner folder and needed covering over. I chose some plain cream card to do this and then layered some hand made pink thin paper over this. I used the cuttle bug to cut out the oval and embossed the edges. I used a lovely stamp to create the little feet and distress ink for the natural look. I used my gold embossing powder and raised the wording. I stole the little tag idea from Matt's easter egg along with the tag. I stamped out the little tag and cut around it. I then used my new spellbinder flourish set and the cuttlebug and some cream roses to create the vine of roses. Again another lovely page and well worth all the drying time.

Looking forward to my scrapbooking class at running with scissors today, see what other ideas I can borrow, also must make an 18th card for my son, so chat soon.

Wow, what a week and each night I did just a little of my scrap book as it needed alot of drying time. I borrowed this idea from another blog and love the way it has turned out. I got some lovely soft effect paper in white and pink from the hobby house, along with two types of flowers and some lovely white feathers. I started by creating a template of the front page and then used the template to cut out the white surface. I then created two templates for the pink areas and again cut these out. One night I glued the white area onto the front of the folder and the following night the pink on top of this.

Once well dry I added my faux stitching to make it look like a material front. I then cut a circle out for the base of the embelishment, I cut the feathers down and glued these around the circle, again more drying time. I then started with a large white flower, then a dark pink slightly smaller, then a pale pink the same size. I ofset them so the colours showed through and gave it the depth look. On top of this I added a smaller flower in pink and finally an even smaller one in white. Finishing off with a decorative silver and pink flower brad. I made sure that it was all dry before attaching with glue to the centre of the front of the folder. Most effective and worth all the time spent on it.

Sunday, 19 April 2009

Having spent ages looking for an image of the lovely Lindz, was able eventually to get one from her hubby Mike. Had decided the colour scheme a while ago, but could not really get the idea to come together until my husband Matt suggested having a handbag and this opening for the photo. So with new idea a foot, and after visiting hobby craft (forgot to remember the mental note of save) created this lovely page. I used the paper from one of my stacks and then created a template of a handbag, I cut this out once for the base and a second time with a small flap at the bottom. I put my top piece through the cuttlebug with the swiss dots folder for the texture and then glued the tag to the back of the base bag. I now had an opening handbag. I placed her photo on some darker card and placed this in the handbag on the base card. I then added a silver platinum card embelishment and a silver mobile phone embelishment as this is what she has in her handbag. I used faux stitching around the bag and some pearls. I added another born to shop silver embelishment to the front of the card. I used my cuttle bug to die cut my cuttle kids letters out and then layered these onto mirror gold card, I used my craft knife to trim around the letters. I then placed glue on the handbag and on the clasp (again cut from my die cut tags on the cuttlebug) and loaded the area with glitter. Finally and probably not needed placed a fushia bow at the top right of the page.

Waited all week, in anticipation for my second lesson, which as always was fun, interesting and I learnt some new techniques, thank you Tracy for the lovely choice of papers and ideas and to Sue for the quick hint, will remember this one in future.

Monday, 13 April 2009

Well after taking the ideas from my class this week and some of my own as well, this is the baby's dad Mike. He is into airsoft and spends a lot of time playing "you can't see me".

So this page is exactly that. The backing paper is from a paper stack of hobby craft's and this one was scrumpled up and then sanded to create the marbled and worn look. I then found some camo paper and using the cuttlekids alphabet cut out his name using the cuttlebug. I then used my x cut circle to cut out the photo frame and a smaller circle to cut out the peak hole (Matt suggested this). I used a small heart to make the opening clasp again a die cut for the cuttlebug. I used a punch and some leaf die cuts and then used a technique from the class to make the leaves look more life like. I used some flower embelishments to finish the look. Inside and around the photo again I used a technique from the class to show faux stiching around the photo.

Quite impressed with this one - I hope he is too when he sees it...........

Sunday, 12 April 2009

Well firstly an update on the fishing, 5 all and the larger home trophey going to my son Mike.

My class at Running with Scissors was fun and I learnt a few new techniques. I learnt how to use tiny tags to hold hidden areas closed, how to create faux stitching and how to make items look aged. I completed the lesson, with only the labels to complete. I came home had a think and created my labels using the spellbinders mega nestabilities curved rectangles and cut and embossed them and followed that by using a Tim Holtz vintage photo distress ink, using a triangle make up sponge like Tracy at Running with Scissors had suggested. Really like the effect.

Loved the class and loved the creation - taking a few of the ideas into my own little scrap book for Lindsay.

Saturday, 11 April 2009

Hi again, with the update on the fishing last text was 3 -2 to Matt (that was at 2.34am).

Anyway this was my last nights creation in between coffee's with V and Paul. Lovely to see V she is working so hard at the minute. I asked her opinion on the papers for the scrap book page for Lindsay and she loves them too, but I still don't know how I am putting the page together yet.

This card is similar to a card I saw in the Hobby House (I was taking lots of photo's again for inspiration. It is a white card base with a backing paper taken from the hobby craft pastel paper stack and on top of that a lovely pearlescent baby blue card stock. The image is made from stamping a creative expressions image of the lady (from the Hobby House) onto acetate, cutting out the image and then colouring in with glitter glue. (glitter glue is currently coming from tickerty boo on wilton road industrial estate, lots of colours very cheap) After letting the glitter glue dry I then used small foam pads to raise the lady off the page a little. The embossed swirls are from the new spellbinders collections. This set is from the Shapeabilities collection. I got these from the Hobby House there are some lovely new collections out and this set adds a whole new dimension to your work. I added some cream flowers and pearl buttons again from the Hobby House to finish the effect.

Ok I have a new favourite.

Well going to have a coffee and then off to my very first lesson on scrap booking at "Running with Scissors" just know I am going to learn a lot and bypass my mental note of not spending.

I will let you know an update on fishing later and how my class with Tracy goes and maybe an image of what I create (if it is any good)............................................

Friday, 10 April 2009

Bank holiday's oh how I do love them, a perfect excuse to relax and do what you love best. Matt took me to the fishing shop this morning to purchase a few bits for his night time fishing, so I asked if he could pop me around to the hobby house and low and behold he did. I forgot the mental note and bought just a few bits and bobs. On returning I assisted the two of them to pack both cars with the fishing gear and hey from 3pm on Friday to 3pm on Saturday is now MY TIME.

As you can see I am making the most of it. This is a lovely little easter card. Just had to use that same backing paper as I used for Grace's scrapbook page as it is so sweet and it went perfectly well with my vision for the card. I found a few ready made embelishments in the draw that went well with a home made embelishment that I made about a week ago. I used another of my penny black stamps from the hobby house and printed several images onto watercolour good quality paper. I used a black stazone ink. I then used my watercolour pencils and some glitter pens to colour the images in. After carefully cutting them out I layered them using small stamp pads.

I really like this one.

Wonder how there fishing is going, it is a little wet here :( hope there not too wet) I wonder who will win the large house fishing trophy and who will get the little one?

Well just going to search for portrait photo's for my first mornings session at "Running with Scissors" and then I may just have to make something else.................

Monday, 6 April 2009

This is the babies page, not sure if it actually looks as if it is for a baby? The layers are pale pink card on the bottom with the pearlescent cream on the top. I placed pink fringing under the cream layer. Again the photo is still to be taken so space allocated for it. I used a pink ribbon to edge the photo area and again my corner punch to hold the photo.

I used my nestabilities oval scallop for the name area and embossed the edges of this with my cuttlebug (love this machine). I then used a clear embossing stamp pad and some clear letter stamps to create her name tag. I used pink embossing powder to highlight the name.

I then remembered Polly and added bling and buttons etc and a nice litte bow at the top of her name.

Sunday, 5 April 2009

Ok I finally got up the courage to attempt the first page of the scrapbook for my pregnant colleague with the support from Polly (oh and the husband).

I found a lovely backing paper from the Range in Scunthorpe it is from a pack of designer paper's called "Say it with a......SmirK" by Kyla May. They are foil and glitter and are beautiful for girlie toddlers, which is just what Grace is. As I am leaving my colleague to put her own photo in of Grace, I needed to think of a way that she could mount the photo. I decided to pick out the tiny amount of purple in the backing paper and used a pearlescent purple card stock and used a corner punch and lifted its edges to enable an example photo (lilies) to be placed in without damage to the surroundings. I used the cuttlebug and my tag diecuts to label the photo and some glitter alphabet to place her name on this. Remembering that Polly mentioned lots of bling, picked up the pink using some little gems to frame the photo and some lovely glitzy flowers (freebies from somewhere)

Thanks Polly for letting me know I am on the right track.

One down three more so far to go, well at least thanks to Polly they are small pages.

Oops forgot to mention got to go cook the sausages, as the husband forgot to get the duck out last night, so Sunday Dinner has gone so far down market, even the potatoes may be insulted.........

This was not a rush and I enjoyed making this one from a past magazine, I think I finally got the lineage right when placing all the images on top of each other and quite like this effect but this one is not a favourite - must be having one of those moments or is it that yellow thing in the sky putting me off.

Saturday, 4 April 2009

thank heavens, went to "running with scissors" today and found it most interesting (actually kind of mindblowing) But taking the opportunity picked a friends brain and then booked myself on to any cancellations going to learn how to produce a scrap book (need to do this quickly - as the present for pregnant colleague for birth of new baby is going to be a hand created scrap book) Then forgot the save rule and spent some more money on a few bits to aid that creation.

ermmmmmmmmmmmm sorry everyone did forget the I must save mental note and following on from my purchases there then went to Scunthorpe and visited Range - spent some more (but not as much as the husband in fishing republic) so not feeling too bad.

Looking forward to my opportunity lessons and will try this evening to draft my first page.

Thinking "This is my mum" she likes shoes, handbags, clothes and jewellery (lots to go at there and think a black, white and cerise theme would work well. Will let you know how it goes - cross your fingers for me.

Saturday morning and a quick food shop to enable me to get to the proper shop, you know the one. Yes found myself spending longer in the craft shop than in the food shop. (mental note - was suppose to be saving, must remember to try do that) however I did have a reason to go in the shop in the first place, I needed to go and buy some lovely pinks, purple's, pale lemon's, pale blue papers for an up and coming learning project that my friend is helping me with. By the way still bought a lovely stack of papers in monochrome, well actually not all monochrome some had some lovely fushia in them - so got to go, as need to be creative.

The stew was on a slow simmer so used my time effectively. The husband and son were at their fishing match so peace and concentration reigned in the home.

I decided to try out my new penny black stamp and my water colour lessons from the husband. I touched up the watercolour with cosmic irredescent watercolour and then just had to continue. Using a pre cut card, adding the matting and layering and then using my swiss dots embossing folder and my edge punch. Not sure if the ribbon and the flower went over board or not but I like the finished effect. Oh whilst creating I forgot that my stew was on and when returning to the kitchen for a much needed coffee was not sure if to stir the stew in the pan or that which had escaped all over the cooker top. (Make a mental note that whilst saving, should not make cards and cook evening meal for husband and son at the same time) Well off to put the dumplings on and then maybe some more crafty tonight.

With my pregnant colleagues birthday coming up, and after avidly reading my magazine with its lovely free papers, on Wednesday I started to plan this card. By Friday evening and after a hard day was finally ready.

This is my first attempt at this style of card and initially worried that I would not get the front fold correct but it was not that hard. I then was able to place my free vellum on the back of the card and quickly move to the front. I started by cutting out my images and quickly placed these on the gold mirror card to give it the lovely edge. I used my nestabilites circles to cut out the edging for the round hanging rabbit. I used several little gold rings to get the dangling bit just right and also added a "hand made with love" embelishment to finish it off. It was very fiddly but wow definately worth it. I felt it needed a little extra and after several placings decided on the little lemon bow at the top.

I have to say I do like this one and if she is not careful may have to just keep it so I can look at it.

I remember back in December last year when I visited Teeside Park, seeing the very very very large signs for Hobby Craft from the other side of the huge car park. I made my work colleague (pregnant) walk all the way around just to get there. To my dismay it was due to open in 3 days time. I was gutted.

Monday this week, again I had to visit the area and luckily had to meet some one there with the same colleague, the plan was already there. We finished our coffees in Costa and at a speedy pace headed for the location of the previous huge banners. My colleague is not a crafty but is a believer of retail therapy. I was in and through the doors (she only has a few weeks till little one pops out now), I picked up the basket, she converted it into a trolley - expectations you see were obviously very high. How can I describe the full upper floor full of cardmaking luxuries. I had limited my spend but the basket kept getting fuller and fuller. I did the treat the husband bit (we always treat them when we are away) and then filled my boots. I now cannot wait to visit Sheffield and hope it is just as good. Must remember to mentally note to save, save, save, save, in readiness for my trip.